Master Chorale Survival Fund

Last night a woman read my blog and committed to donate $5,000 toward a Master Chorale of Washington Survival fund. Moreover, she committed to finding others who will contribute. I read her promise and cried tears of joy on the bus ride home last night.

People on the bus were looking curiously at me but I didn’t care. I had hope again in my heart that perhaps we could undo what the board decided to tear asunder. “Out of the ashes of disaster grow the roses of success” – a song from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

The money would not be collected until those of us working to save the choir have a plan to ensure that the funds will only go toward resurrecting the choir or making it survive AT LEAST another year.

I’m sick of crying out of despair and sorrow at the news that the board of directors of the Master Chorale of Washington decided to dissolve the choir. It will do no good to discuss my frustration with the board’s failure to ensure this would never happen when FOUR YEARS AGO they realized and some people begged them to create a long-term funding plan.

Instead, I’m going to fight to save the choir. And I’m not alone. Others in the choir have held meetings and will soon again meet to discuss options for saving the choir. Although the group has yet to decide whether the mountaintop is reachable, we even have a potential fundraising plan laid out. I want our group of choir members to have the same hope that was resurrected in me last night because of the pledge.

When someone commented on my blog that she would give $5,000 to the choir, I realized this fight can be won and my heart was lifted.

Most gracious and beautiful lady, thank you from the bottom of my heart to commit that amount of money.

Because you have inspired me I today publicly pledge $2,000 toward the Master Chorale Survival fund in the 2009-2010 season, but not until the choir either restarts or the board is reorganized. We need to come up with at least $500,000 before June and I believe we can do it. In fact, I believe we can raise more than that.

If we just find 100 to 150 other people to donate $5,000 or more, or 250 people willing to give $2,000 the choir will survive to sing another year and I’m determined there will be more years to come as well. Considering that there are more than 100 singers in the choir, this should not be an insurmountable feat.

So will you pledge money to keep the choir alive?

Either pledge in comments on my blog here and the person coordinating the pledges will contact you to work out the details or send me a message privately. Also consider whether you would be willing to pledge to support this amazing choir for more than one year. If we know that the money is sustainable, we have an even better fighting chance.

So won’t you PLEASE, pretty please with a soprano singing the “money note” on top, pledge to help our choir survive. Give me a reason to stop crying during rehearsals. Oh Lord, I beg you to inspire people to give so that you can show that miracles do come true. Please pledge to put in something, $20, $100, $1,000 or maybe even $5,000. You can pledge to make monthly payments. And you don’t have to give it by June. As long as we know its coming, when its coming, and for how long, we’ll be fine.

In turn, I will personally write you a letter by hand to thank you, and I believe there may be other gifts of thanks involved, so which when the fundraising plan is launched, you will be considered a part of the fundraising efforts/success.

If you want to see a short clip of the choir preparing for last years Christmas concert, click here. See how eager our eyes our. See our adoration of Don and our joy at singing. Hear our voiced blend. Now imagine that disappearing in two months. I cannot so I will fight.

And again I’ll repeat my new theme.

Let those who say it cannot be done get out of the way of those already doing it!!!

Note: My statements in no way represent the Master Chorale of Washington in whole or any of its members other than myself. They are my personal opinions.

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2 Responses to “Master Chorale Survival Fund”

Were a mostly volunteer group, but there are some paid professionals. The truth is anything under our typical annual budget of $1 million would require some serious belt tightening, much of which has already happened. But we’re not the only choir to have such a budget. Performing in DC is EXPENSIVE, even if you reduce the number of concerts in the Kennedy Center.

Those of us fighting to keep the choir alive will soon come up with an official target number, which will likely be higher than what I estimated.

re: costs
My understanding is that even if we sell all the tickets for a concert in the Kennedy Center, that we still come out in the red for most performances, i.e. why we are a non-profit. It’s expensive to rent the concert hall, and even more so when you hire a quality orchestra and soloists.

But if you’ve ever been on the stage and had the sound surround you and felt the utter joy of sharing your voice with thousands of people for their emotional and spiritual benefit, you probably understand why it’s so important that our choir continues on.

I’m determined to do all I can to keep us going. We can’t let the arts fizzle out one group at a time. We must take a stand–today.

How about you Matt? Would you join our efforts and give up your Starbucks coffee or three cab rides for a week and pledge $20 to us instead? Hey, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Feel free to email me privately with your response. Either way, thank you for reading my blog and commenting.